​​It is hard to believe that we are almost halfway through the academic year. The last five months have been filled with many opportunities, achievements and challenges that have required us to reflect on lessons learned. ​Throughout the first semester of 2024. 

Stellenbosch University (SU) has continued to position itself as a leading African university with a global footprint. To this end, we have adopted responsive and responsible internationalisation as our strategic approach to expand our work across borders, whilst remaining aware of our impact and own unique needs. This type of internationalisation requires sensitivity to social, cultural, economic and environmental factors, and the ability to adapt accordingly and remain accountable. This will remain our focus for the rest of the year, building on the successes we have achieved thus far.

Over the past months, our commitment to responsive and responsible internationalisation has seen us forge and foster impactful partnerships with higher education partners across the globe. We have also made further progress with integrating an international, intercultural and global perspective into our institutional operations and academic offerings in an effort to make internationalisation accessible to all our students and staff.

Ultimately, we want to ensure that all members of the SU community benefit from an immersive internationalisation experience and acquire global competencies. This commitment also extends to our partners with whom we collaborate, ensuring that their students and staff who join us here in Stellenbosch also reap the benefits of augmented educational exchanges.

The stories covered in this newsletter will give you a sense of the work we do in this regard – expanding our footprint globally, positioning our university as a first choice for students across the continent and globe, and offering top-notch support and opportunities to our international students and staff.

As we tackle the second semester, we will continue to cultivate partnerships with diverse institutions, while also capitalising on our involvement in multilateral higher education networks and consortia. We look forward to continue our journey together as partners and collaborators in the global higher education space. 

Prof Hester Klopper

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategy, Global and Corporate Affairs

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